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198
Water Supply.
The Royal Commission appointed in 1898 to consider
the question of the future water supply of the metropolis,
have presented their report. The reference involved the
following points:—
(a) Whether it is desirable in the interests of the Ratepayers and Water
Companies that the Undertakings of the Companies should be acquired
and managed either by one Authority or by several Authorities. And
if so, what should be such Authority or Authorities.
(b) If the Undertakings are not acquired, whether additional power of
trol should be exercised by Local or other Authorities, and if so, what
those powers should be.
(c) As to the practicability of connecting any two or more of the different
systems of supply now administered by the eight Metropolitan Companies.
Briefly, it may be said that the report of the Commission
is favourable to the existing sources of supply, and foreshadows
the creation of a Water Authority, which will not be
the London County Council.
Your Vestry had, on more than one occasion, expressed
disapproval of the proposed purchase of the undertakings
of the water companies by the Council, favouring rather the
promotion of legislation, by which a central body, representing
the ratepayers of the whole of the area of supply of
the companies, should be vested with such powers of control
and supervision as would, without necessitating the purchase
of the undertakings, give to the consumers a directing influence
in regard to all schemes for the extension of supply in
the future, as well as statutory powers for regulating the
system and manner of distribution, such as Parliament has,
in times subsequent to the granting of Water Acts, imposed
on similar private undertakings for public purposes.